God Changed Me

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

-St. John 3:6-7

I am born again. God revealed himself to me and opened my heart to understanding Him and how to become saved. And in becoming born again, I am a complete new creature in Christ. All that I was has passed away and all that God wants me to be is being loosed.

Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

-Matthew 18:18

What does this mean? It means that we must use the Word of God in our lives to help us bind the things we don't want in our lives such as disease, lack, famine, poverty, and anything else negative. It means we must use the Word of God in our lives to help loose the things we need such as ears to heed to the voice of God, eyes to see His plan for us, and a loving nature for all mankind.

I am a changed man by God. People do not change people, only God does. But it doesn't happen overnight. This is something that takes time and though I may be born again now, I am still working at getting to where God wants me to stand firm.

Just several weeks ago, I officially decided to abstain from alcohol. My opinion of it had changed when I first  discovered God's calling but I never fully quit drinking. While I would not get drunk or drink hard liquor anymore, I didn't give up drinking one or two once every few weeks or for really special occasions. Well, I finally feel ready to shut the door on it once and for all. There are many reasons to stop drinking.

1. Alcohol has been the source of many lives lost, families broken, and marriages destroyed.

2. Alcohol is unhealthy for the body, plain and simple.

3. Alcohol allows your body to "let go" and lose control. Forgive me if I offend anyone, but I have no desire in "losing control" of myself.

Furthermore today, I have made a decision to embark on a journey that may seem even more bold. I do not wish to have anymore "fast foods" ever again. I have tried to abstain from it before only to end up desperate for a meal and craving Taco Bell. Well, I feel that I need to bind fast food and loose a healthy diet into my life. The body is the temple for the Holy Ghost and for that reason, we must take care of ourselves. Watching our diet is a great thing to do not just for yourself but for God.

While I am not completely ready to give up all types of fast foods, I have decided to give up McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Sonic, White Castle, Taco Bell, KFC, Burger Express, and any other miscellaneous burger-joint. The few restaurants I will allow are Subway, Chipotle, Chic-fil-A, pizza, chinese takeout, and various other sub/deli shops. Hopefully within time I will have the means necessary to provide myself with a strict diet that will be acceptable to God and to maintaining the greatest possible condition for my body.

When I look back at my life, I sometimes have a difficult time remembering why I did half the things I used to do. I sometimes have a hard time remembering who I was. I feel that this is because God changes people in a way that they truly do become "born again" into a new state of mind and body. This spiritual rebirth isn't just symbolic, it is real. God is really working when we release the Word of God into our lives, our situations, and anything we desire. God doesn't just work for me, He wants to and can work for everyone. No matter who you are and no matter what your situation (how small or big), Jesus Christ loves you and He wants you to live your life to the fullest potential.

They say that there is a broad path to destruction and a narrow path to salvation. This is the truth. Look at Cain and Abel in Genesis. Cain's worship to God was unacceptable but Abel's worship was looked at by God with favor. I tell you the truth, there are not too many options to choose from when being saved. It is pretty much the same for everyone. But as you may notice, there are more than enough options for not being saved. As Cain and Abel have taught us, there is a right way to worship and a wrong way.

And with a new covenant being made by the blood of Jesus Christ, there is only one path to salvation: Christ. Accept Christ as your God and you will become born again. Repent and seek the Lord diligently. Don't be afraid to take that great leap. Don't end up in that downward spiral. It's a broad path to destruction which means there are many ways to go but only one right way. And if you're not on the right path, it doesn't matter which of the other several paths you're on, it all leads to the same place: nowhere. Ask God to lead you today. Pray to Him and He will change your heart. He will increase your understanding. You will find a new smile. God is alive.

Be blessed!

Love Thy Neighbor

Since taking Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I have felt a complete 180 degree turn-around on how I view others. People don't change people, God changes people and that is exactly what he did to me. I was once a man like any other that didn't know how to "step in someone else's shoes." While I never held too many grudges or straight-out hated anyone, I never knew how to love either.


No matter who you are and no matter what you believe, if you are reading this, please know that I care about you. We are all of the same kin, created by God.


For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.
-Colossians 1:16


And if God created us, why are we warring against each other? Why do nations rise up and strike other nations? Why don't people love thy neighbor?


The answer can be found through understanding of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Savior came to save us from eternal damnation and also came to show us that love is happiness. Let's face it, who yearns to be unhappy? Nobody does. Everyone seeks one thing and that is happiness. But not everyone knows where to find it. Some people think they can disguise it with riches and a promiscuous sexual life. Well, I'm here to tell you that I have found happiness and it is based around love for one another.


It is difficult to not gossip about a fellow human being, especially when someone does wrong against you. But does that give you the right to act the same way back? Does that make you any better? We've all heard it before: "let's not stoop to their level." Well, that saying has a very Biblical meaning behind it. The next time someone does wrong against you, it is best not to speak ill of them, but rather to pray for them and leave it alone. Judgement is reserved for God.


The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.
-1 Samuel 24:15


I have always noticed that I have several different groups of friends. I am never isolated to one particular click or best friend. While I may be closer to some and more distant from others at different times, the love I feel for each person remains. I find it difficult to completely shut out a person from my life. Since becoming saved, I have had an easier time showing a Christ-like unconditional love for others. This love is never met with an ultimatum or strings-attached clause, rather, it is made possible by Jesus Christ. With Christ, you will overlook no one and your heart will yearn to make others happy.


I have always been more of a giver than a receiver. I look forward to Christmas gift-giving rather than the gifts I receive. This doesn't mean unconditional love negates any type of receiving. The true gift of receiving is through God.


But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
-Philippians 4:19


God is a provider and not only will He provide the understanding and love required to keep His commandments (such as 'love thy neighbor'), He will provide anything that you ask of Him in Jesus' name. I have been through enough trials and tribulation to know that God is real and that investing time in prayer and studying of His Word will manifest into great things. You could spend your whole life doing great things without God but never fully experience what God has called you to do. And whatever God has called you to do, I can guarantee you, it is better than what you can do alone.


I may have been able to go my entire life being a great gift-giver, never asking for something in return but would I ever have been able to fully commit myself to a life of love? For years, I kept thinking, "I do so much for others but why does no one do anything for me?" Well, my friends, let me tell you this: giving is not about receiving. Showing love is not about receiving love. That is never what God had in mind. If He had that in mind when Christ first came, Jesus would have never said "Forgive them Father, they know not what they do."


Everything ties together, whether it's love, forgiveness, mercy, grace, patience, or any other Godly attribute. We can show love by forgiveness. We can show love by being merciful. We can show love by granting grace (rewarding someone when it is not deserved). And then to truly test ourselves, we show patience. By being patient, we wait for a change. As we do good deeds for others when they do none for us, we wait. And our hope is that one day the other person will feel the same way we do.


I once heard a story about a husband and wife. The wife was a believer but the husband was not. He cursed her day in and day out for her beliefs and eventually his resentment for her ended with him locking her out to sleep on the porch for an entire night. She did so, and in the morning, he let her back in the house and said sorry. She never complained, nor did she ever lose faith that he would eventually have God revealed to him.


Sounds like a fairy tale, eh? Well, we spend so much time watching them on TV and in the movies, that I hope we do those things because we want to believe they can happen. And I'm here to say that they can. The story of Jesus Christ is a fairy tale but one that was written by God as truth.


In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
-St. John 1:1


I love what God has done for me and what He has allowed me to see in others. He has enabled me to love with an open heart and always second guess myself when I don't speak kindly of others. If I find that I have, I immediately repent and ask the Lord for forgiveness. This has kept me from making enemies and experiencing a life of happiness that can only be found in Christ. Please, seek God. Please, love others. Whichever one comes first, I guarantee you the other will be soon to follow.


God bless and have a wonderful day.

Science Supports God

Evolution or God? Pick one. That has been the greatest debate in education over the past century and seemingly evolution has won. Charles Darwin's theories have made it into almost every scientific textbook found in public schools and his theories completely remove the existence of God as an all-powerful, intelligent creator. But don't let it confuse you because although Darwin's theories are scientifically-based, his ideas are not science itself.

Years ago, I was introduced to a book written by journalist Lee Strobel entitled, "Case for a Creator." He wrote the book after his agnosticism and apathy towards God was dismissed by startling scientific evidence that God was the greatest explanation for life as we know it. His journey and investigation, as highlighted throughout his book, opened his eyes to the idea of "intelligent design" and that life was too complex to be the result of random occurrence and/or accident. 

Of course, critics accused him of being bias in his arguments but I found after reading his book that most, if not, all of the arguments presented were great examples of God's mysterious power. For example, his investigation examined the Big Bang Theory and how this scientific theory of the Universe's creation is plausible. According to Strobel, the Kalam cosmological argument is the best supporter of why the Big Bang Theory could have been an occurrence created by God. The Kalam cosmological argument is an old medieval one but it makes perfect sense. The argument states that whatever begins to exist has a cause and that the universe came to exist. Therefore, the universe must have a cause. The best possible explanation would be God, an all-powerful, intelligent creator. Simply put, God was the cause of the Big Bang, or what sciences likes to say was a powerful eruption of energy and matter that created all things.

Think back to the Bible's explanation of how the universe was created. God spoke all things into existence and created them from nothing in the Book of Genesis. All life and all things that we perceive as reality are so complex and intertwined that the sheer idea that it was just "random" and "meaningless" is pure ludicrous. Science's purpose is to make sense of things and the best sense it has made is that God exists. Unfortunately, what people will find in textbooks and in most education systems is that science has disproved the existence of God. However, to say that would mean that science has made the best sense of everything and it clearly has not. Scientists are still searching for things and trying to find the meaning to life and each time they find that it points closer to God, they find that the idea must be wrong and they must keep searching. No matter where they look, they will find that the evidence will continue to point to God.

I'm not a scientist and it would be difficult for me to go into detail about this but I want to encourage everyone to look at three things: Lee Strobel's book, quantum physics, and the Bible itself. If you find it difficult to believe what the Bible says, then look at Strobel's book first. It will enlighten you to truths and false truths you never knew about such as the incomplete fossil record which is a disruption to Darwin's theory of evolution. Furthermore, you will find when looking at quantum physics that everything is made of the same energy. Just recently, I have been introduced to the idea that all things are a type of sound energy. While I have yet to do a great deal of research on this matter, I want to say that I did come across several teachings online that support the idea that all energy is a form of vibrating energy which can be compared to sound. 

Now think back to what God said in the beginning. God spoke all things into existence. If this is true, which it must be because it is recorded in the Bible, then we have found the scientific proof that we are a product of God's creation. Furthermore, look to St. John 1:1...

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

What does that mean? It means that the spoken Word of God was the beginning of all things. It means that whenever the Bible refers to the Word being made flesh that Jesus Christ is truly the savior of all of mankind. There is a deep connection between Jesus Christ and the creation of the universe. They are both one. All things were created by God by His Word and His Word became Jesus Christ. It may seem difficult to understand now but do your homework and pray and soon, over time, things will be revealed to you that will increase your understanding and knowledge of the Lord. 

God is supported by science and you will find that many scientists do believe in God. The only thing left to do is to convince skeptical scientists that they have actually found evidence of God and that the complexity of life is a result of God's knowledge and power.

***Disclaimer*** God is real :)